Hospitals are increasingly offering organic health food options for patients, staff and visitors. Proponents of organic produce assert that it can benefit overall health as it contains no growth hormones or artificial preservatives.
However, not enough evidence exists yet to show that organic food provides any tangible health benefits; in fact, it could still contain high levels of sugar, sodium, and calories.
1. Lower Risk of Cancer
Organic fruits and vegetables contain higher levels of antioxidants and are free from potentially harmful additives, potentially helping lower the risk of certain diseases such as cancer.
New research conducted among 69,000 individuals revealed that those who consumed more organic foods experienced a 25% lower cancer risk compared to those who consumed less, due to reduced levels of pesticides such as glyphosate and organophosphate pesticides like malathion and diazinon present on organic fruits and vegetables. This reduction may be linked to their lower consumption.
Though this study is promising, researchers caution that its results should be confirmed and acknowledge other possible factors may have led to reduced cancer risks. They do recommend eating at least two servings of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day for maximum effect.
2. Lower Risk of Heart Disease
Organic products tend to be lower in fat and provide more fiber, helping you to lose weight more effectively while decreasing heart disease risk. Organic dairy and meat products contain an optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids essential for bodily functioning and reduced cardiovascular risks.
Cost considerations make switching to organic foods difficult for families, and hospitals may provide them, though doing so would take money away from other vital medical services.
3. Lower Risk of Obesity
Studies have shown that eating organic food reduces the likelihood of becoming overweight, likely because these items don’t contain growth hormones, synthetic ingredients or pesticides known to contribute to weight gain.
But more research must be conducted in order to verify this link, particularly large prospective cohort studies that accurately record diet and environmental exposures. Furthermore, highly processed organic food still contain fat, sugar and calories.
Studies have also demonstrated that organic fruits and vegetables may provide higher levels of certain essential nutrients, including antioxidants, polyphenols and resveratrol; however, overall their nutrition value remains comparable to conventional health food items.
4. Lower Risk of Birth Defects
Baby brains and bodies are particularly susceptible to chemical preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides that may affect development. Adopting an organic diet during gestation helps limit exposure to these harmful chemicals while keeping your baby safe and happy.
One study demonstrated that pregnant women who reported using any organic food were less likely to give birth to a boy with hypospadias or cryptorchidism than those using nonorganic. Even after making adjustments for BMI, smoking status, education level, household income and household size this outcome remained unchanged.
Another study indicated that children consuming predominantly organic produce are at reduced risk of neurological issues caused by organophosphorus pesticides found in conventional produce; however, no long-term studies of this have yet been completed.
5. Lower Risk of Mental Health Issues
Eating organic foods can help strengthen your immune system and promote healthier digestive bacteria, as well as alleviate symptoms associated with food allergies or sensitivities.
Recent research indicates that those who regularly consume organic vegetables are more likely to remain free from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and postmenopausal breast cancer than those who never consume such foods.
However, it should be remembered that organic foods do not always provide higher nutrition value than their non-organic counterparts and their higher cost may make them unaffordable to many families.
6. Lower Risk of Infections
Organic food tends to be healthier than conventionally produced options because it contains less pesticide residue and bacteria. Organic farming practices also conserve the environment whereas chemical fertilizers pollute water supplies and wipe out entire species of animals, birds and insects.
Furthermore, some studies suggest that people eating organic food have a reduced risk of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria; however, more high-quality studies on this subject must be completed first.
Carefully review food labels when buying organic products; some could contain excessive sugar, salt and fat content.
7. Lower Risk of Inflammation
Once found exclusively at specialty health food stores or farmers’ markets, organic food has now become a standard offering at many grocery store chains. People choose organic produce for various reasons.
Organic produce contains less pesticide residue and evidence suggests higher concentrations of certain vitamins and secondary plant metabolites compared to conventional produce, but there is insufficient data demonstrating that eating organic can lower your risk for specific health problems.
Careful reading of labels is necessary and it should be remembered that organic is not necessarily healthier than nonorganic food products; many organic items still contain large quantities of sugar, salt and fat.
